nani lee, INTERVIEWED BY emma womble
STATEMENT - Emanating as sculptures and collaged airbrushed paintings on both paper and canvas, my work investigates socioeconomic status. By personifying teeth, I demonstrate the individuality of people within various social statuses, exploring the inequality of dental care throughout history. My work is contemporary and surreal, as I revisit and critically analyze the residual impacts of my childhood experiences with being unhoused, domestic trauma, Latin heritage, and sexuality, as well as reimagining moments of my everyday life and fuzzy memories that have lingered. I have explored the narrative of feeling small due to childhood trauma and have come to understand the lack of resources within mental and physical healthcare, education, economics, and race that have perpetuated this hierarchy in Western Society. Through my work, I am becoming more aware of the complexities in my experiences and creating a new narrative that invites class consciousness. In particular, I focus on exploring the nuances of the Latin diaspora and its relationship to classism, in addition to examining the systemic oppression and marginalization experienced by minority communities. I am passionately exploring my understanding of society through my personal experiences and inviting others to gain insight into my humorous ways of digesting the past and present.
Emma: In your artist statement, you mention the idea of “creating a new narrative that invites class consciousness.” Could you elaborate on what that looks like for you?
Nani: A lot of it has to do with background and upbringing, making my passion and drive very personal. Inviting others to look into and be aware of their surroundings. The economic state and social state of everything at the moment. To realize things aren't as equal or black and white as they seem. There are many different levels to the pyramid of socialism and where everyone fits in our Western society.
E: Is it more about bringing awareness? Because it seems very personal?
N: Yes, it is mainly about inviting others. I want to approach a series topic or series statement to make it light-hearted and digestible. Through my paintings, I aspire to achieve that as well as inspire others to think critically. My teeth paintings have to deal with environmental surroundings and what it is like to live in our Western society. And how that fits into different places in the social hierarchy. Like living in our Western society and living in a lower-income or a higher-income environment, working to contrast that and dissect it. A Lot of times I will place my teeth characters into these settings. Because I want people to look at the details and really think about what it would be like to be put into that environment. As I dive deeper into that series of work, I want to get more serious about it and approach heavier topics. I am approaching it at a slower pace because it is heavy for me to dive into.
E: Teeth, specifically, seem to be a common theme in your work. Do you find any other imagery as an inspiration source?
N: Yes, I draw a lot of inspiration from weaponry and everyday objects like trash cans for some reason. I really like painting a trash can. I like teeth, obviously, because it is a thing that a lot of us have. I started a different series recently with these star bodies. Taking the shape of a star and compacting the human body, mainly the feminine body, into this figure has been fun. I really like anything that is appealing to me, specifically the outline and shapes of weaponry. I tend to focus on that and include that in my work. Even though it doesn’t necessarily tie into the narratives per se. A lot of times, it is for fun or to contrast.
E: After reading your Stove Works application, there was a question about listening and its importance to you. You had an intriguing response. So, how are listening and social interaction a part of your practice to get other perspectives on class? How do you think this has shaped your practice? Do you pull from any interactions for inspiration?
N: Absolutely, I find most inspiration from human experience. The experience of my peers, close friends, and loved ones, as well as strangers that I meet. Sometimes I pull from random people I bump into or not even people I bump into but I observed. I view myself as an observer of people. I tend to go out into environments and watch what's going on. That inspires me a lot because observing how people maneuver daily life will tell you a lot about them without necessarily talking to them. I also talked with them and heard their backgrounds to see how that has influenced where they are today. I pull a lot from that, probably the most. Because I think that's the beauty of being alive. We have had different evaluations of different lifestyles and things that we have been through. That is what inspires my work the most, besides my own human experiences.
E: You work with both sculptural elements and two-dimensional paintings. I am curious if you lean towards working with one material over the other?
N: I felt like I had to focus on one thing because I have a genuine love for everything art-related, not even art-related, but making-related. I love just making things. When it comes to painting or sculpture, it's whatever I feel drawn to. If I have an idea or something I really want to make, I will go for it. Recently, I have been working on combining the two. To the point where my paintings have a sculptural element to it. Like actually putting texture on the frame to bring it out more.
As far as the storylines, I am telling or building up layered pieces. I feel like there is more freedom in sculpting because I do not do it as often. When I work with sculpting, it’s very peaceful. I try not to apply a lot of pressure since I don’t know what I am doing as far as sculpting. As far as painting goes, I think it's more mentally taxing because there is more going on. I feel like I put a lot of pressure on myself to where there are certain elements that have to be displayed in a certain way for me. But that is just me being picky.
I think it can be more freeing for sculpture, but I love both so much, too. Which is why I am trying to combine them. I have been working on pieces that are on a wooden panel, and then I will create an image, sculpt over the image, and pull the image out of the panel. That's been really nice because I got to sculpt and paint for the same project. I really like how that's been playing out.
E: That tooth painting behind you, which is popping out from the canvas, is really nice.
N: Yeah, I really like dimension and texture, but I am really particular about them. They have to be a certain way. There's a fine balance in my head between clean and messy or grainy and sharp.
E: So, there are certain formal elements that you want to be included in your work?
N: Yeah, so when incorporating sculpture, there can't be too many sculptural elements, or everything will be washed away and won't stand out. I am aware of where I want the image to come out. So, in the tooth painting, the background is very flat and composed together. The other elements are on canvas, so they will be layered on top of each other. It's like a collage, but it also adds a little bit of shading that I don't have to paint, which is nice. Especially the texture and how it feels like it is coming towards you.
E: Is that mostly airbrushed in your tooth painting?
N: Yes, so the foundation of my paintings is always airbrushed. Once I finish the image or feel like I have painted as much as I can, I will go in with last-minute decisions. With a colored pencil or trying to etch something with a blade and scratch into the painting itself. Which is kinda nice, because it’s like I am destroying something which is risky. I will also take paint pens or colored pencils to do small details. Those are my favorite things to go over with.
E: Do you have any specific ideas or projects for your time here at Stove Works?
N: Yea, I came here with a specific idea of what I wanted to do, and I feel like artists always say that and it changes when you get to the point of doing it. I thought it was not gonna change and it did. I started having so much fun with my star characters and portraying the feminine body in very grotesque but pretty ways. I am leaning into feeding more storylines of them right now, playing around with them and seeing where that goes.
I have held back my focus on the heavier topics that I wanna speak about, but then I got here. I was in a really good headspace and having a nice time here. It can be a little taxing to focus on the heavier topics especially when you are in a good headspace, because it feels draining. I am trying to go a little more lighthearted, and then revisit the heavier topics later.
Check out more of Nani’s work -
www.bynanilee.com
@sudokuintheclub
